Forsaken Hearts
by Scarlett Faye
Summary: It seemed as if the perfect vacation in Italy. But when Katherine decides to play a few games with Damon, it leads to his wife walking in on the forbidden act. Elena goes back to the States wanting a divorce, Damon chasing after her. Once there, a surprise pregnancy changes everything.
1. Under the Moonlight

**A/N: ****Thank you to my muse and beta, EmilyStark.**

**Summary:**

**While on vacation in Italy, Damon and Elena are having the time of their lives. That is, until they meet a familiar, wicked face. Katherine decides to play a few games with Damon while Elena is out shopping. After getting Damon seriously intoxicated, she seduces him. Unbeknownst to them, someone is about to walk in in the middle of their act. And all hell breaks loose; Elena returns to the States, Damon following behind. Once she returns, she finds out some unexpected news.**

_**Here's the introduction. **_

The soft pitter-patter of the drops against the roof soothed her minor headache. It had been a long, three months since she was separated from her husband of merely two weeks. The images burned into her mind were constantly pushing through the thin layer that was her wall of mental protection. She never wanted to see his face again; that wicked smirk, seductive lips, lurking eyes. That cheating mind of his.

She shook all thoughts of him from her mind, trying her hardest to think of something else. It was no use, though. Damon Salvatore was still there, deep in the crevices of her thoughts.

As she had once slowly marched down the long aisle, Elena dreamed of what her future would be. A grand honeymoon in Europe, a few children later down the road, even if they would have to adopt.

"Vampire can't procreate." She softly whispered the same words that were once emitted from Damon's lips.

With a long sigh, she glanced out the window once more to the figure standing in the rain; eyes pleading, completely drenched from head to toe. The raven locks that fell upon his face were the only mask that was hiding the sincerity behind every feature of his face.

"But you just love to try." She pursed her lips, remembering the heartbreaking memory of that day in Italy.

**Italy-3 Months Before**

Elena shuffled down the hall of the grand hotel in which they were currently staying at. The sudden head of an elderly gentleman peeked out from his room. His eyes were wide as he glanced towards Elena.

"Senora," He whispered, glancing around the hall for any by-standers. Elena's eyes were directed to him as she cautiously stepped towards him.

"Yes?" She asked, sucking in her breath from the foul odor of the man.

His eyes immediately softened, "I saw a woman go into the room with your husband. They've been making all sorts of noises." He shook his head at his poor English.

Her head couldn't wrap around the fact, "You may have seen me."

His head shook once more, "No, senora. She looked like you, but she was dressed very differently."

Elena's eyes widened as she muttered beneath her breath, "Katherine," Glancing back to the elderly gentleman, she gratefully said, "Thank you."

The pads of her shoes smoothed out across the marble of the hallways as she slowly walked towards her room door. Her heart felt as if it were to leap from her chest in that moment, for the anticipation of proving the elderly man wrong was sky high.

Her fingers wrapped around the golden doorknob, quietly twisting it clockwise until she heard the familiar click. She stopped when she strained her ears to listen for any noises that the man was talking about.

And that's when she heard it, the moaning and heavy breaths of two individuals inside of her room.

"Elena." A voice moaned out.

Her heart seemed to stop beating as everything surrounding her seemed to spin. Slowly, she pushed the door open with her shaky hand, expecting the worst.

The room was utterly dark, so she reached towards the closest wall for the light switch, and flipped the overhead lights on. The scene before her became enlightened as the figures on the bed, sweaty and still intertwined, seemed to not even notice Elena standing in the doorway.

Her jaw fell open before she released a shattering scream, snapping the pairs' heads up.

**Present-day**

Elena's eyes narrowed before she turned her body around and walked away. Slowly, the figure fell to his knees, knowing that he could never have his true love back.

**A/N: Tell me your feelings on this story so far by leaving a review! I would greatly appreciate it. **

**This story will show you the vacation in Italy, the affair, the fight, and so forth. **

**Remember to review! **


	2. Heartbreak Solitude

**Author's Note: I'm so happy that you guys like the story so far! I definitely will not take this long to update anymore. ****Once again, thank you EmilyStark for the continuous support and inspiration.**

_Dearest Elena,_

_Sometimes, there are simply no words that can adequately express the depth of a person's feelings that are plagued by regret, guilt and sadness for a wrong done. This is my predicament now for hurting you so badly when you trusted me so._

_A thousand "I'm sorry" I'm willing to say but I know it can't undo what has been done and it won't ease the pain in your heart. Instead, let me write this to let you know that I regretted my actions and cheating on you is certainly an unforgivable mistake. I totally deserve all the anger and resentment from you for what I have put you through._

_However, it also pains me to see you suffering as a result of my misbehavior. Guilt burns in my heart thinking of all the hurt that you must have felt because of my recklessness. Each time that I think of you, I get angry with myself because I can imagine all the bitter tears you must have shed when you learned of my indiscretion._

_I'm feeling like this because I know there is still love for you glowing in my heart. Otherwise, I wouldn't have cared one bit and moved on. But I don't want this relationship to end simply because I still care deeply about you and love you with all my heart. I truly want you to be happy again with me still being a part of your life._

_Well, a mistake is a mistake. I know I don't have the right to ask anything from you when I have foolishly betrayed your trust in me. But if you can find it in your heart to forgive me and give me another opportunity to prove to you how much I love you, I will be very, very relieved indeed. For that would mean, I still have the chance to love and cherish you. And a chance to make your future a happier one with more laughter and less tears._

_Lastly, I just want to say that I have faith in my love for you. I have faith that we will overcome the odds and make our relationship even better than before. Give me another chance and I have faith that, one day, we will look back at this and be glad that we didn't walk away from each other._

_Loving you always and for all of eternity,_

_Damon Salvatore_

The brown eyes that fell upon the floor after reading the letter began to burn. He knew every inch of her heart, her soul, her dreams, her desires. He knew what made her tick. And that scared her because she had complete and utter trust in him before he cheated on her, so how is she to trust him now?

There was a throbbing pain that was shooting through her heart, bouncing off of every wall, continuing the river of heartbreaking memories. How was she to ever get over the heartbreak that was Damon Salvatore?

Elena could still remember the days they had spent touring Italy, a newly engaged couple happily visiting each famous landmark, their hands entwined.

_Italy_

His fingers traced the outlines of her lips, softly wiping away the smallest amounts of tomato sauce that were lightly smeared there. She glanced up, their eyes meeting. He let out a small chuckle before brushing the back of his hand against her cheek.

"What would I do without you?" He asked, eyes sparkling.

She gave a tinkling laugh before pushing the plate that once held a slice of Italian, thin crust pizza near the edge of the table so the waiter could take it without interruption. After paying the bill, Damon took hold of Elena's hand, sensing something. She tilted her head when he began to rush towards the car they had rented.

"Why the rush?" She asked her voice full of suspicion and curiosity.

He stopped, sensing her sudden suspicion in his actions, "Look up," She gazed up towards the clouds, which were growing darker by the minute, "It's going to start down pouring very soon." He took hold of her hand once more, urging her to get into the car.

She shook her head, releasing her hand from his, "Ever seen _Singing in the Rain_?"

He cleared his throat, "Yes." The questions of if the weather had a profound effect on her to cause her to be momentarily insane began to pop up in his head as to why she would suddenly ask such a question.

Elena smiled as the rain began to tap dance on her scalp, "We have the props," She gestured towards the light posts, "All I need is a dance partner."

He thought for a moment, biting his lip as he glanced from the dry car seat to her wet face. The inner war was soon over as he took hold of her hand, bringing her in close for a passionate kiss.

The rain began to pour even heavier, soaking the two until their hair and clothing were dripping.

She pulled back slightly, allowing him to lean his forehead against hers. Pursing her lips together in her own way, she began the scene from the film, "This California dew is just a little heavier than usual tonight."

He smiled, eyes fluttered shut, "Really?" He pulled back, eyes fully open, "From where I stand, the sun is shining all over the place." She started to chuckle as he began to dance with her around the street; twirling and prancing around.

At one moment, with a crowd of people watching, he hopped onto the center base of the lamp post, pointing towards Elena to get up there with him, in which she did. The two twirled around the pole until they were both dizzy enough to jump down back onto the ground where Elena told Damon that she wanted to feel like a woman from his time. He happily obliged, dancing formally in the middle of the street, the only sounds being their feet and the patter of the rain against their clothing and the street below their slowly dancing feet.

_Present_

She wiped the stray tear from below her eye, trying to desperately forget those memories that would only bring forth more heartbreak for her.

"I must forget." She whispered to herself before standing to her feet to walk towards the fireplace where she threw the letter into the blazing fire.

The answer to her question was simple; there would be no getting over Damon Salvatore, the man who had carelessly and absentmindedly torn her heart apart like a savage beast.


	3. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

The days passed on, flying by with not a moment's hesitation. The pain had not dulled by the least bit for Elena nor Damon, it was still lurking above. The king-sized bed didn't help in the least bit, it made the whole atmosphere feel lonely for her. Meanwhile, Damon had staked out in front of the boarding house in his car, only leaving to go to Alaric's house for a shower, or the Mystic Grill for the common needs such as food and bourbon.

Her mind was reeling around the same idea as she watched him sleeping in his car from her bedroom window. He had no clue, and she was hoping that he would never figure it out. It was nearly impossible to sneak out of the house, but she had managed a couple of times to successfully escape while he was away.

Each time she stepped into the office, the guilt of him not knowing flooded her entire system. The posters on the walls stared back at her, making the situation even worse. But what really topped it off was the doctor innocently asking if her husband would make it. Her face would go pale, rubbing her forearm with her ice cold hands as she shook her head. The doctor would always fall silent before asking the mandatory questions.

Elena wouldn't be surprised if the doctor thought that she was being abused at home. She shook the thought from her head before she walked back to her dresser to do her everyday routine. To start the day off, she would glance out the window to see if he was still there, which he always was. Then, she would look at her reflection in the mirror, pitying herself because she knew that she looked horrible.

And that particular day, she rated herself an all-time high of two stars out of ten. After this, she would pull on a black shirt, she explained to herself that it was her form of 'grieving', and skinny jeans. Once she pulled her jeans on, Elena slowly made her way downstairs. She looked like a zombie, completely emotionless except for the few tears she would shed when she came upon something that reminded her of him. Of course, practically the entire house was him.

The atmosphere downstairs was tense as she remembered the long and tiring fight that had taken place right before her as she stepped into the parlor. The lamps were still strewn across the living room, the bulbs shattered into millions of pieces, just as her heart and love for him was shattered that very day when she walked in on the gruesome sight.

It was hard not to remember that day. Hell, it seems as if everything that was ever good is always long forgotten, but the most horrific events stick to your brain like glue; a sickening twist to life.

She had spent nearly ten minutes standing in the parlor entryway, looking around the room before she shuffled her feet into the kitchen, careful not to step on any glass. The momentum in her step used to be so powerful, always wanting to explore further, but now, it was completely lost, as if she were a lonely roamer wandering helplessly through the vast desert.

Ever since discovering her current condition, she was careful to watch what she ate, only eating what her doctor said was healthy.

* * *

The inside of the car was in below zero temperatures, but since Damon couldn't feel any temperature changes, he was not affected. The pockets on his leather jacket had begun to grow small bits of frost on the edges, only to melt away when he stepped out of the car, which was a rare occurrence.

Even Alaric had constantly asked if he was feeding properly. Damon would just shrug it off as if it were nothing, even when it was dangerous.

"Damon, you have to feed." Alaric rested his hand upon Damon's shoulder.

Damon sighed, shrugging Alaric's hand off, "Not until Elena talks to me."

Alaric frowned deeply, "It's dangerous if you don't feed and then you talk to her. That's taking a serious risk." Damon weighed the two options, his head beginning to hurt until her shrugged his shoulders and walked back to his car.

He appeared to be sleeping, but in fact he was closing his eyes, trying to imagine where they would be if he hadn't made that fatal mistake in Italy.

* * *

"_Signore," An elderly gentleman had called out to him as Damon was walking back to his hotel room, "The signora told me to give this to you." Damon warily took the folded, small piece of paper from the man's wrinkly hands. _

"_Grazie." He said, looking up to find the gentleman had gone back into his room, "We-ird." He flipped the note open with his pointer finger, reading the note._

'_It's been a while, my love.'_

_He smirked inwardly at the words, wondering what she could possibly mean. Keeping the note firmly in his hand, he walked up to the door, finding it surprisingly unlocked. Damon turned the handle, seeing all the lights off and the silhouette on the bed._

"_Damon." She purred, stretched out in a seductive pose._

_Damon growled, kicking the door shut before launching himself onto the bed._

* * *

He felt like smacking, no, punching himself for making the stupid, stupid mistake of not looking closer. How could he have been such a fool? The pain Elena must have felt when she walked in on the mess must have been unbearable, even greater than his ever will be. And he would gladly stake himself if it relieved her pain.

The memory of that night was still vividly clear.

* * *

_Without him realizing it, the door to the room had creaked open, flicking the lights on. The stunned figure standing in the entranceway finally made him snap his head towards her when she let out a shattering scream, nearly falling to her knees. _

_His entire face fell as realization came crashing down upon him. He glanced back down to the woman he thought was the love of his life, only to find a menacingly-smirking Katherine in her place. Damon jumped off the bed, his hands placed on either side of his head, eyes wide. _

_Elena began uncontrollably sobbing, not being able to see the sight anymore, she stumbled down the hall until she reached the elevator where she viciously jabbed at the button. Damon looked towards where Elena had once been, finding that she had vanished. _

_Oh, he was not going to let the love of his life leave like this, "Elena!" He called out as he rushed out of the room, managing to pull on briefs moments before. "Elena, please!" He gripped her shoulders, pulling her around so he could see her face. _

_The look on her face made his entire heart demolish. He wanted so badly to just pull her into an embrace, but was stopped when she forcefully smacked him across the face, making his entire head fly to the side._

"_I fucking hate you!" She screamed just as the elevator doors opened, allowing her to step inside. Before he could stop anything, the elevator doors closed, leaving him to beat his fists against them, his face pale, and eyes wide. _

"_Elena!"_

* * *

**A/N: I broke my promise. :( Sorry!**

**I feel so bad for not updating in forever. **

**I hope you loved this chapter. And I would like to thank EmilyStark for her continuous support.**

**I will be forever grateful if you leave a review.**


	4. Ring of Fire

_Elena POV_

How could I live with the person I had become? I had become the shell-of-a-woman, moping around the large home, leaving only for the necessities that were needed, and the regularly-scheduled doctor appointments. It was hard to wrap my head around, how my future was now set in stone, or so I thought.

The bitterness of winter surely did not help; chilling the home to below zero temperatures so I could wrap the blankets around me, snuggle on the couch, and just sulk. Winter was a friend at times, but at other stages, it was a bitter old woman, blaming me for the selfish actions of my…dare I say it, husband.

He, whose name shall not be spoken, has a very long list of names in my book, names that are not in the least bit flattering. Names such as jackass, and many more which go into further details, details in which I cannot thoroughly explain without being enraged.

The ring which had been steadily placed upon my finger was now melted, lying in the pit of the fire. After arriving home from Italy, I had sobbed and sulked for two weeks straight, then after hours of thinking and arguing with myself, I threw the ring into the fire, watching as the symbol of his love melted away.

Metal was what our love used to be, a ring of complete trust and loyalty, only to be shattered by the actions of him. Memories taunt me every night, leaving me to wake up screaming in agony from my heart tearing even more after the horrible event looped around in my head, continuously playing over and over. It was the most horrible year of my life.

Fall in love-check. Get married-check. Go to Italy for honeymoon-check. Have husband cheat on you-check.

Whatever higher being is up above us must not like me, telling by the way my life has been going so far. It was torturous really.

* * *

The car was still freezing, mirrors fogged, windows rolled down half-way, his lips were a light shade of blue. Some would have the wits to _roll the window up_, but he knew that he needed to feel the emptiness, the coldness that she was feeling. It never occurred to Damon that he couldn't feel sudden changes of temperature. There was one thing that he could feel, his cold and black heart tearing even more, the faint, slow heartbeat drumming even slower.

What he did to her was horrible, monstrous, unethical, evil, and shone his pure stupidity of that night. Friends had turned against him, except for one. The constant phone calls ceased, the familiar faces never waved to him, no hugs or comforting words. He felt even more shunned and evil than when he had gone on a killing spree. Hell, even his own brother was spurning him. Realization had dawned upon him.

He was all alone.

The arctic air nipped at his skin, his arms crossed against his chest, eyes cold as they stared up to the window where Elena was most likely sleeping. He would give his right arm to go back in time and not screw up his marriage.

But we all know that you cannot do that. We have to learn from our mistakes and march on, trying our hardest to mend what we have broken. And now, it was three months after that fateful trip to Italy, six weeks from when he received the divorce papers, and two months since he first camped out in front of his house in his car.

It was shock when he was sleeping on Alaric's couch peacefully when the doorbell rang…

"_Rick!" Damon called out sleepily, "There's someone at the door!" _

_When there was silence, he strained his ears, using his vampire abilities to find the house empty of life besides himself. He sighed before tumbling off the couch, successfully waking himself fully-up. Damon dragged his feet until he reached the door where he pulled it open, his hair in all directions and eyes squinting from the sudden invasion of light._

"_Mr. Salvatore?" A male voice asked. Damon nodded; looking the man before him up and down, seeing the gray suit he was wearing. The man snickered before handing him a manila envelope. The man opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Damon slamming the door directly in his face. Damon heard him curse under his breath before thundering back to his car and flying off down the street._

_There were big, red letters stamped to the front, but his eyes were still adjusting to the light, not allowing him to be able to read what it said. He tore the top of the envelope open and pulled out the documents it contained._

_At first, he was shocked as he read through the letter. But the shock passed onto anger as he read the printed words:_

_Elena Gilbert-Salvatore requests a divorce._

It was at that time that he had stormed over to the boarding house, pounding his fists against the door. He knew deep down that there wasn't even the slimmest of chances that she would open that door.

Damon kept beating his fists against the wood of the door, shouting, "What the hell, Elena? You want a fucking _divorce_?"

Elena was at the foot of her bed, hearing the intensity of his voice grow louder with each word, being able to hear him perfectly well. The tears slid down her cheeks, whispering beneath her breath, "I can never forgive you."

* * *

It was the sixth time within the hour that Caroline had called that Elena finally gave in and picked up, "Hello?" She choked out, her voice cracking.

Caroline sighed in relief, "I thought you were dead."

Elena groaned, wandering over to the window where she locked gazes with Damon, the breath hitching in her throat. As quickly as she could, she tore her eyes away and laid down on her bed, "He's still out there."

There was a moment of hesitation as if Caroline was doing something, "Do you want me to come over and… take care of him?" Elena knew exactly what she meant by _take care of him. _

"You are not going to kill him, Care!" She hissed into the phone, almost jumping up in fury.

Caroline groaned in disappointment, "Why are you still sticking up for him? Sorry to say this, but he _cheated_ on you. It's not like when we were kids and Matt stole your gum, leaving you angry, only to accept him back as your friend later."

Elena frowned, soaking up the words, "You really don't understand…"

Caroline cut in, "What don't I understand, Lena? I've been cheated on before."

There was a pause before Elena inhaled sharply, "It's not just that. He's...he's the father of my child."

The silence filled the air, choking Elena to the point where she became worried. Could vampires faint?

"Care?" She asked, preparing herself for grabbing her keys and driving out to the Forbes home.

"Say that again?" Caroline finally replied, "You're p-p-pregnant?"

"Mhm."

"Pregnant as in baby-in-stomach-pregnant?"

Elena felt like smacking Caroline across the face for her clear stupidity, but realized that she was still wrapping her head around the idea, "Yes, Caroline."

Caroline sighed, "This is some fucking messed-up world. A vampire getting a human pregnant. Sheesh."

Elena chuckled slightly, "I gotta go now. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah, give me a few to wrap my head around this whole thing." She replied before ending the call.

* * *

The sunlight poured into the car, a certain feeling swooshing in with it. It was a feeling of, well I actually didn't know. It was this feeling of happiness, even if my heart was still aching. I was yearning to be with my love, to hold her, to beg on my hands and knees for her to forgive me.

The marriage must have been over in her eyes, since she wanted a divorce. The innocent soul that I had wrecked was probably crying her eyes out.

* * *

Elena was laying on her bed, a slight grin tugging at the corners of her lips as she imagined her future with her baby.

"A beautiful girl or boy. Maybe even both." She said to herself, eyes fluttered shut.

The fury rushed through him, thrashing his hands against the steering wheel, which caused the horn to continuously beep out into the open, kicking his legs against everything they came into contact with. The bottled-up anger came out in that moment, freeing itself from the chamber it had been trapped inside of.

Elena leapt to her feet at the sudden sounds from outside. She rushed to the window, eyes widening when she witnessed Damon practically beating his car up. She stood in shock, watching every anger-filled movement he made. With each beep of the horn, her body shuddered. It was frightening her watching him take out all of his anger.

By the time he had finished, the inside of the car was a total mess. He didn't care, he honestly did not care in the least bit. Damon would gladly take his wife over his car any time, any day. His chest heaved up and down, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles were pure white. It was then that he looked up to the window, seeing the frightened figure of the love-of-his-life.

"Shit." He cursed, watching her disappear from the window.

* * *

**A/N: Tell me how you liked this chapter!**

**Thank you EmilyStark and everyone who reviewed last chapter. You are ah-mazing!**


	5. Man in the Mirror

Countless hours trapped inside a car, waiting for his one true love to walk out the door and run into his arms had left him ready to jump off of the cliff of sanity. Waiting; it was all he knew how to do at that point. By the time he had bore holes into the papers printed with the very words he despised, the ideas had begun to muster in his head.

Three hours of sleep per day was what was keeping him moving. The self-promise of making himself pay for his actions was driving him each ticking second. He straightened his back until he could fully see over the steering wheel. The small icicles which had formed on the car were now fully-sized, the windows were fogged, all showing signs of a bitter winter. His eyes darted back to the papers laying on the floor of the passenger side, glaring evilly at them.

Damon then tore open the glove compartment and rummaged through trying to find the one thing that would at least give him some satisfaction. His eyes sparkled when his hand wrapped around the yellow lighter which was shoved far back in the compartment. He picked up the papers and stepped out of the car before walking to below the window he had previously seen Elena watching him from.

His lips twitched upwards into a wicked smirk as he saw her sad eyes looking down upon him curiously. Lifting the papers up, he silently waved them around before bringing them back down. His thumb rubbed forcefully down on the lighter, igniting the flames from within. The flames licked the edges of the papers before engulfing the entire booklet, allowing Damon enough time to drop it to the ground where it continuously burned.

Elena looked down upon him, shaking her head in disappointment as she walked towards the doorway, a certain power in her steps. Seeing that seemed to rejuvenate her force to its original power. She stormed down to the main entryway, throwing the door open just in time to see Damon about to drive away in his car.

The anger built up within her came bursting out as she dashed out to the front of his car, halting any further movement. Damon's eyes grew wide as he slammed on the brakes.

"What the hell are you doing?" She spit out, "You're supposed to sign them, not burn them!" Her hands were balled into fists at her sides, eyes dangerously narrowed.

Damon scoffed, unbuckling his seat belt before throwing the door open and stepping out again, "I wouldn't sign those if my life depended on it!" Elena flinched at the intensity of his voice, resulting in her backing up. He knew that he should be the one begging for forgiveness, but he wouldn't allow her to just divorce him without allowing him a chance to explain himself. Hell, she didn't even allow him to explain even with him chasing after her in the airport in Italy…

* * *

"_Elena, please! Just listen to me!" Damon begged, eyes wide._

_Elena spun around, pressing her hand flat against his chest to push him farther away from her, "Stay away from me!" Several of surrounding individuals were now staring at them, not exactly understanding their language. Damon was clearly taken aback by her sudden gesture, for he was left with his jaw open._

_Spinning back around, Elena continued on her way to the gates to the plane, not once looking back._

_Realizing that he may never see her again, Damon bolted to his feet, trying his hardest to catch up to her. Just as the gate was in his sight, two guards who had seen the small fight held him back._

"_Sir, you are not permitted to go any further." One spat in an Italian accent. Damon could have collapsed right then and there seeing her board the plane. Without him._

_He nodded, allowing the guards to release him. He could see the gates were still open, so when the guards turned to leave, he bolted for the gates, not willing to give up just yet. The guards chased after him, yelling in Italian for him to stop. Damon did no such thing, he kept on running for that gate, eventually slipping inside just as they were about to close it. The guards were too late, changing their course of direction for the emergency entrance to the airfield. _

_Damon ran down the small hall until he reached a staircase that led to the airfield. He whipped his head in each direction, trying to find that one plane, that one number; 315. His eyes locked to the large number printed on the plane, dashing towards it. _

_But as everyone knows, you can't stop a plane that is already taking off. _

_He collapsed to his knees, allowing the breathless guards who had finally caught up to him to take him back inside the airport._

* * *

The memory was bitter for him to remember as he stared into Elena's eyes, trying to remember what had gone so wrong. Oh yeah, he cheated on her. Elena crossed her arms against her chest, glaring daggers at him.

"Why can't you comprehend that I don't want to be married to a man that goes and cheats on me?" She asked, the volume of her voice rising with each word.

Damon stepped closer until they were inches apart, "I didn't mean to cheat on you, Elena! I was tricked!"

Elena scoffed, "Is that the best excuse you got?"

The anger built within him exploded as he gripped her, pulling her into his chest so he could successfully kiss her. At first, Elena struggled against him, pounding her fists against his chest, her eyes wide, but in the end, she gave into the kiss.

Damon finally released her, allowing her to breathe before turning back to his car and driving off, leaving Elena bewildered.

* * *

The cursor on the screen blinked, making Elena feel rushed. She had spent countless hours trying to figure out how to tell him. She had finally resorted to grabbing her laptop and opening a blank document. Just as the words came, her mind went blank, not knowing how to start it.

Her fingers rapidly typed, 'Dear Damon,' and that was all she had on the document. She shook her head, erasing the only bit she had to write, 'Damon,'.

It was frustrating, really. Her eyes flicked towards her phone on the nightstand, biting her lip debating whether or not she should call someone. With a firm shake of her head, she went back to the blinking cursor on the screen.

With a deep breath she began writing the letter.

* * *

Alaric rubbed his eyes, trying to figure out what had awakened him. It was when his whole body shivered that he looked up to find Damon holding a bucket that Alaric knew how he was crudely awakened.

"Damon? What the hell?" He reached for his alarm clock, tearing it from the table and reading it, "It's eleven in the morning."

Damon shrugged his shoulders, "Most normal people wake up earlier than this, Rick."

Alaric sighed before sitting up, "What do you want?" He shook his head like a dog would to remove some of the water.

Damon raised his hands up to block out the water that was shooting off of Alaric's locks, "It's been a rough day."

Alaric narrowed his eyes, "It's eleven in the morning and you've _already _had a bad day?" Damon nodded, walking away to go into the kitchen. Alaric followed after him, dripping with water. Quite frankly, he was used to being awoken by cold water to the face. The stinging headache he had didn't help with the situation either. Taking a seat next to Damon, he grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the corner of the counter.

"Why would she want a divorce?" Damon suddenly asked, eyes lost.

Alaric chuckled, "You cheated on her. If I were her I would do the same thing."

Damon turned to face him, narrowing his eyes before turning back to look out the window above the sink.

"Did you sign the papers?" Alaric asked, taking a long sip of the whiskey.

Damon shook his head, a crooked smirk on his face, "I burnt them, with her watching."

Alaric couldn't help, but laugh at this, nearly falling off of his chair, "You sound like you need some of this," He held up the bottle to Damon's face, only to have it shoved away.

Alaric gasped playfully, "Damon refusing to drink? Is it the end of the world?" Damon turned to him once more and knocked a good punch on Alaric's shoulder, playfully of course.

* * *

**A/N: Ello, my good people! It's been a while. Chanks to every, single one of you that reviewed last chapter!**

**I'm still getting over the fact that Elena is a vampire! :O It's crazy, yet awesome.**

**Thank you to EmilyStark for being an awesome muse.**


	6. Yours Faithfully

**Author's Note: I know that I've said this one too many times, but I am truly sorry for not updating in forever! Life is so crazy right now. Thank you to EmilyStark for steadily reminding me that I needed to update. If you guys are to thank someone, thank Emily!**

**Things are about to get interesting…**

**Read&Review pwease?**

* * *

Teeth chattering, oak eyes narrowed, mind reeling, Elena stared down at the folded letter within her quaking hands. Her bottom lip was between her teeth, the debating unfolding within the crevices of her mind. There were only two options and, quite frankly, she liked neither of them.

He was so predictable, in the worst possible way, not to mention untrustworthy to the tenth degree. She leaned against the arm of the leather couch, the letter clutched in her hand like a lifeline. The gears in her heads clicked into place. Striding towards the door with renewed courage, she silently slipped outside, knowing that he would be in deep sleep at such a time. The bitter wind brushed against her cheek like an icy finger trailed against her skin causing her to shiver.

Reaching the car, her fingers charily lifted up the frozen windshield wiper and carefully placed the letter beneath, all the while stealing glances inside the car, but finding the windows fogged up. Her heartbeat picked up pace as she realized that there was a good chance that he was awake, using his keen sight to see through the fogged windows. The breath hitched in her throat before she turned on her heel and walked back to the house.

Gently shutting the door behind her, she leaned against it for a few moments, eyes shut. The doubt flashed through her mind, pleading for to go back out there, rip the letter to shreds, and talk to him face-to-face. But when the doubt came, the storming argument flooded her mind as well. She knew that once she stepped foot in the car, he would beg and plead, most likely making her completely resentful.

The back of her head rested against the oak door, trying to imagine where they would be if he had remained faithful. They hadn't been married for more than two months when he turned her back on her to run back to Katherine. She forcefully shook her head before laying her palms flat against the door, eyes fluttered open, pushing off the door and stepping towards the kitchen. She felt faint for the longest second when her eyes betrayed her, believing that she had seen Damon glancing over his shoulder as he prepared dinner, a dishtowel slung on his left shoulder. In the blink of an eye, the mirage faded away, seemingly like their marriage.

The pantry door creaked open, her arm reaching in to dig out the coffee machine that had been a wedding present. She had to bite back the sobs as she dusted off the never-used appliance and set it on the counter. Flicking the switch down after setting the filter and cup in, Elena watched as the slow, steaming drops of coffee free-fell down into the mug.

* * *

His eyes cracked open, glancing around warily to the world of morning. The sun could be found nowhere in the sky, instead replaced with hundreds upon hundreds of gray clouds. The weather was non-changing, bitter. Furrowing his brows, he stretched his arms skyward, staring out the fogged window. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a shadow of what he believed was a piece of paper nestled against the window.

Opening the car door, Damon leaned out and hastily grabbed the letter, careful as not to tear it. He situated himself back into his leather seat, completely ignoring the fact that the door was still ajar. In shaky scrawl his name was written on the upside of the letter. He knew Elena's handwriting like the back of his hand, and sure enough, this was her doing. Even if it was partially-sloppy, he treasured it. At least she was communicating with him. But on what grounds would she want to write a letter to him? The small smile that was once playing on his lips immediately dropped as the worst possible scenarios ran through his mind like a reel.

With shaking hands, he opened the letter, not seeing the smaller paper that had fallen onto the floor.

* * *

The tips of her fingers tapped against the marble counter. She had long ago bitten her nails to the nub when her pool of depression had grown deep. The chocolate eyes glanced around the fairly-large kitchen, trying to find a distraction. Her eyes landed on a picture on the fridge of a gathering of friends just before her wedding. The breath hitched in her throat, she frantically rushed towards the fridge, wondering how this photo had managed through her thorough inspection of removing all photos of _him_. Luckily, Damon had missed-out on the small party due to a council meeting that Alaric had managed to squeeze his way out of. Elena's lips twitched upwards, her eyes skimming the photo when she took it into her hands. Bonnie had her fingers pointed up to make a bunny behind Jeremy's head. Elena laughed at Caroline's expression, for just when the camera took the picture, Tyler had pinched her behind, a menacing smile plastered to his face. Elena, Matt, and Alaric all had their arms slung over each other's shoulders, seemingly swaying to music that was blasting in the background, their faces twisted into smiles.

The tears stung her cheeks as she placed the magnet back on the photo on the fridge. She couldn't help the smile that had found its way onto her lips. Spinning around when the alarm on the coffee machine went off, Elena walked back to the other half of the kitchen, picking the mug up and turning the machine off.

* * *

His eyes grew wider with each word he read,

"_Damon,_

_From the moment I saw those baby blue eyes, I was in love. I guess I never grasped the knowledge that bad boys are never meant to settle down. Our marriage was a symbol of complete trust and honesty, but it seemed that you went against the laws of matrimony. You had my heart in your hands from the second you first kissed my hand. And you took my heart, one of which was bleeding love for you, and took an axe to it._

_But in the midst of this chaos, I have found hope. A hope that is so small, yet precious to me. Hope that comes in the tiny body of my unborn child. It pains me to know that you have had no knowledge whatsoever of him or her, but who could honestly blame me. I have attached the most recent sonogram photo."_

Damon frantically searched around for the photo, eventually finding it on the floor of his car. He gingerly picked it up, eyes watering at the sight of his child, his finger brushing against the surface of the photo. Glancing back down to the letter, he found that she had written more.

"_I have set forth two paths before you. You could be a part of this child's life, or turn that car around and never show your face around here again. Either way, Damon, I don't want to be associated with you, including our marriage, in any ways besides our child. The decision is up to you._

_-Elena"_

Damon chewed on the inside of his cheek, glancing in the rear view mirror every other minute. Two paths; one decision, both choices life-altering. He was split in half on the decision, both halves trying to run in different directions. He truly did love her, and now, he loved their child even if they hadn't been born yet. But he had caused her so much grief, he didn't want to inflict any more pain upon her, let alone their child. Resting the letter along with picture on the passenger's seat, he inhaled deeply before shutting the door to his car. His shaking fingers gravitated towards the keys already in the ignition, turning them until the engine hummed from a long slumber.

Elena's heart dropped from her chest when she heard the familiar sound of an engine being started. The dams broke once again as she rushed up to her room, slamming the door shut with such a force, the whole house shook.

Damon put the car into reverse, slowly backing up until he reached the end of the driveway. His eyes darted to in front of him, up towards the house, and almost immediately, memories bombarded him, jabbing him in the heart.

* * *

"_Damon!" Elena called out after nearly an hour of searching in and around the boarding house. The frustration was slowly building up inside of her when she saw a flash out of the corner of her eye, "You are such a cheater!" Her arm were crossed over her chest, chin raised defiantly. _

_Damon chuckled from his hiding spot, knowing that she was right. The man could never take to losing a game of hide-and-seek. Jumping down from the top branch of a pine, he sped up behind her, scaring her beyond belief when he placed his hands over her eyes. _

"_Damon!" She placed a hand over chest where her heart was thudding a mile a minute. His lips twitched into a smirk as he took his hands from her eyes after reaching into his pocket and grabbing the silk box. _

_Elena quickly spun around, hoping to entrap him with her arms, only to find an empty space. Shivers ran down her spine when he whispered, "Turn around." She did just that, turning around ever so slowly. _

_There he was, down on one knee in his favorite suit. Her hand clapped against her mouth, the tears brimming her eyes. "Elena," He purred, "Ever since I first laid my eyes on you, you have managed to make a better man out of me. Yeah, it took time and patience, but look where we are now. You're the one for me, kitten. I wouldn't want to be with anyone else but you. So, Elena Marie Gilbert, will you marry me?" His eyes shone of pure love._

_Elena nodded, breaking out into joyous sobs, "Y-yes." _

**…**

"_You don't expect me to wear that do you?" Her eyes narrowed as she stood there, a towel wrapped around her._

_Damon looked to the dress in his hand. It wasn't that bad, to him at least. It was a blood red, strapless cocktail dress that stopped at the mid-thigh, but that wasn't even the worst part. The front had a V-neck that draped down to just below the belly-button. He shrugged his shoulders, "It's not that bad-"_

_Elena's eyes widened, "It's not that bad? ! I'm not dressing as some slut to a benefit dinner, Damon!" Her hands pressed to her hips, and immediately, Damon knew that he was screwed. It was either agree with her and toss the dress or face the wrath of Elena Gilbert. _

_Grabbing both corners of the dress, he tore it down the middle until it was two pieces. Tossing it into the bathroom wastebasket, he walked back into the bedroom to find Elena frowning, "What?"_

"_You didn't have to tear it!"_

_Damon sighed, exasperated, throwing his hands up into the air, "God, I never win!"_

**…**

"_What's for dinner?" Elena purred, wrapping her arms around Damon's waist. _

_Damon smirked as he stirred the contents of the bowl, "Spaghetti."_

"_Oo, I love spaghetti." She smiled brightly, hugging him tighter to her._

"_No, you've never had spaghetti until you've had Damon's."_

_Elena rolled her eyes, "I bet you twenty bucks that I've had better."_

_He turned around, eyebrows furrowed and face crinkled in mock sadness, "We're talking about actual spaghetti, right?"_

_Smacking him on the arm, she let out a laugh, "Yes, you perv."_

* * *

Slamming on the brakes, Damon put the gears into drive before jamming his foot on the accelerator. He wasn't just going to leave the love of his life behind like she was a toy he no longer wished to play with. No, he was a changed man, for the better, even if it took a catastrophic mistake to see the right path.

Elena sat on the couch after crying mercilessly on her bed. It was no use to cry over what she never really had; Damon was always pulling away from her, both physically and emotionally. It was like he was a different man each time she saw him.

Just as she was reaching over to the phone to call Caroline, the door burst open, now hanging on by a single hinge.

* * *

**Author's Note: Cliffhangerrr! I'm evil; first, I abandon you guys for two months, and then I have the nerve to leave you all wondering. **

**Hmm, well if you would kindly leave a review, I will greatly, intensely, completely be forever grateful! *Pouts*  
**


	7. Every Rose Has Its Thorn

**A/N: Anyone else recently have problems with Fanfiction? Mine completely bugged-out, wouldn't allow me to log in or search. Anyways, I hope you didn't think that I was going to forget about this again. I collaborated with EmilyStark for this chapter, meaning she wrote the first four paragraphs and I wrote the rest, which is part of the reason why it took us awhile to write this chapter.  
**

**Enjoy! (Please note that I also changed my pen name to Scarlett Faye.)  
**

* * *

Slamming on the brakes, Damon put the gears into drive before jamming his foot on the accelerator. He wasn't just going to leave the love of his life behind like she was a toy he no longer wished to play with. No, he was a changed man, for the better, even if it took a catastrophic mistake to see the right path.

Elena sat on the couch after crying mercilessly on her bed. It was no use to cry over what she never really had; Damon was always pulling away from her, both physically and emotionally. It was like he was a different man each time she saw him.

Just as she was reaching over to the phone to call Caroline, the door burst open, now hanging on by a single hinge.

* * *

Elena Gilbert has always been the exception to the laws of nature. There cannot be an exact carbon copy of someone; she crushed that rule just by being the doppelganger of Katherine. You cannot live without a heart; Damon Salvatore had her heart in the palm of his hand and ruthlessly crushed it the day she walked into that hotel room in the innocent country of Italy. And yet, here she was, battling through this war of conflicted emotions.

Just when she felt that she had reached the top of the mountain, felt somewhat whole, God dealt another card to her, the unwanted child inside of her. Not that she didn't want him or her, she felt that Damon wouldn't want this child. He would believe some ridiculous thought in his head and leave.

Yet here she was, mouth agape, heart thundering in her chest, eyes saucers as she stared over at the open doorway to the home. The blue orbs searched the room before his eyes landed on her, the breath momentarily hitched in his throat. Without a moment's hesitation, he sped towards where she now sat, already on his knees before her.

She couldn't see his face, for his head was resting on her lap as she tried to pick her jaw up off of the ground. They were like this for another minute. Absolute silence.

Damon slowly lifted his head up, eyes pleading and the bluest she had ever seen them. His hands were rested on her mid-thigh, making the breath hitch in her throat. She wanted so badly to scream at him to get his hands off of her, the same hands that just months ago had been resting on the body of that heartless bitch, but she just couldn't. Seeing him here, pleading eyes and all, made her want to encircle him in a hug and tell him everything was alright.

But everything isn't alright, she thought. He cheated on her. He sinned; thou shall not commit adultery. She wanted to tear each strand of hair off of his head if it meant that he would feel the same pain that she had endure.

The courage was slowly building up. And just when she opened her mouth to speak, he must've felt the same courage.

"Please," He begged placing his head back on her lap, gripping her thighs a bit tighter, "I'm so sorry, love. Give me another chance."

She bit her bottom lip, not knowing whether she should push him away or slap him, "You honestly do not get it, do you?" His head snapped up at this, eyes widened.

"You hurt me, scarred me beyond belief and you expect me to come running back to you just because you're 'sorry'?" She huffed, pushing his hands off of her thighs, "Just leave." Standing to her feet, she began to walk towards the doorway.

His mouth was agape, watching as his hands slid off of her thigh, defeated; or so he thought. The words seemed to tumble from his mouth as he saw red, "You know what? You were just a waste of my time! I don't even know why I put up with your fucking crap! If you hate me so much, why not just get a fucking abortion!" He was already on his feet, a few steps away from her back.

Elena stopped dead in her tracks, then spun around on her heels. Her bottom lip quivered as she raised her hand and, with all her might, slapped him across the face. Her hand stung when she pulled it back, watching in fear as veins appeared beneath his eyes.

He seemed to shake, trying his hardest to keep himself under control, "You shouldn't have done that." He spat, coming dangerously close to her.

The burning tears slid down her cheeks, "No! You shouldn't have said those things! This is a child, not some toy you can just throw away!"

"Child?" He let out a menacing laugh, "More like mistake!"

She raised her hand to slap him once again, but just as her hand was in mid-path to his cheek, his hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist. All the while, he kept eye-contact with her, even when she was purposely diverting her gaze from his.

She grew red, her bottom lip quivering, the tears still flowing, "Let go of me." She had meant for it to come out a scream, but it wound up being a pathetic mumble.

He shook his head, clicking his tongue, "You've got to listen to me, Elena." She looked up into his eyes at his tone, trying to will herself to look away, but finding that she couldn't. The panic set in once she realized that her necklace was not placed upon her neck.

Her eyes widened, "Let go of me."

He searched her face, seeing the fear etched into each of her features. His face fell when a voice called out from the doorway.

"Let go of her, prick!" Before either of the two could turn to see who the voice belonged to, Damon was pinned against the wall, groaning from the impact as Elena was sped out of the home.

* * *

"You alright?" The panicked blonde asked, pacing the room by the foot of the bed.

Elena cracked her eyes open from resting, wincing when there was a sharp jolt of pain from her hand. Her eyes darted down to her wrist, seeing the early formation of bruises. Just how hard did he hold her wrist?

Caroline followed her gaze, gasping once she saw the slight blue already there, "I swear, I'm gonna have his head on a platter. How dare he lay a hand on you?" She sped towards the side of the bed when Elena tried to stand to her feet, "Where are you going?"

Elena sighed, "Calm, Care. I'm going to the bathroom. It is my home, right?" She made her way around the blonde and walked into the bathroom of her old childhood room, leaving her to sit on the edge of the bed.

Caroline fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, trying to distract herself, finding that plotting the death of Damon was working just fine. Mere seconds had passed before Caroline inhaled deeply, the overwhelming scent of blood wafting into her nostrils. She jumped to her feet, speeding to the bathroom door, "Elena? You okay?"

It was when she heard a gasp that Caroline truly panicked. "Caroline! Something's wrong."

* * *

She slammed on the brakes in front of the hospital, breaking her hand away from Elena's in which she had been grasping the entire ride. Speeding to the passenger side, she honestly didn't care if humans saw her doing so, she helped Elena out carefully.

"You okay?" She asked for the umpteenth time. When Elena nodded numbly, Caroline picked her up bridal style and rushed into the hospital, practically screaming at the doctors as soon as she entered the hospital doors.

"You have to help her! She's bleeding!" Caroline bellowed at a passing doctor who in turn pointed towards another doctor. Making her way towards the woman, she asked, "Please, you have to help her. She's pregnant."

The woman turned around, immediately seeing the blood-stained front of her pants, "Bring her down here." She rushed to the end of the hall where she gestured for Caroline to place Elena on the gurney.

Elena winced, whimpering as the doctor rolled the gurney into a room, who started calling for any available nurses to room forty-five. Immediately, the doctor went into a full-blown focus, "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Elena," She gasped out, "Sal…Gilbert."

The doctor nodded before lightly pressing around on her stomach, "My name's Doctor Fell. Everything's going to be alright, okay?" She turned towards Caroline, "I'm going to have to ask you to go to the waiting area. Sorry."

Caroline nodded numbly before lightly kissing Elena's forehead, "I'll be right outside. It's going to be okay, Lena." Elena nodded, watching as her friend slipped out of the room, pushing past nurses that were beginning to flood the room.

* * *

"When did the bleeding first start?" Doctor Fell asked as the nurses set up the ultrasound.

"I noticed it when I went into the bathroom, I don't know when it started." Elena let out a sob as she heard the weak heartbeat of her baby.

"Elena," She leaned forward, taking Elena's hand in hers, "I need to know if you had known that you have high blood pressure."

She shook her head, "No."  
"The blood pressure is very high, but we don't know why. Have you ever taken birth control pills before or during the pregnancy?"

Elena thought for a moment, "I used birth control pills when I was sixteen until right before my honeymoon then I stopped taking them."

Doctor Fell nodded, jotting down notes furiously, "Continuous usage of birth control pills is a major factor with high blood pressure. There's a very high chance that what you are experiencing is placenta abruption."

"What is that?" Elena gasped, biting back a sob, "Will it hurt my baby?"

Doctor Fell squeezed her hand, "It's very unlikely that it will harm your baby. This is when the placenta separates from the wall of the womb prematurely. This results in blood collecting between the placenta and the uterus. The cause of this is unknown, it just happens. We're going to have to take some blood just to run some mandatory tests, okay?"

She nodded, shutting her eyes when the pains in her abdomen returned.

A nurse wiped Elena's forehead, "Ms. Gilbert?" She waited for her to open her eyes, "You may have blood clotting for a few days, so do not fret if this happens."

* * *

After a while, which felt like ages to Elena, Doctor Fell came back in, clipboard in hand, "Well, Elena, I have good news. The baby is not in distress, you had mild vaginal bleeding, so I would categorize this as a class one." She smiled slightly when Elena visibly calmed, "We'll just put you on bed rest here in the hospital for a week or two until there is a change in condition."

Elena nodded, "Thank you so much, Doctor Fell."

"It's my job, sweetheart. Take it easy; I'll be back to check up on you in a few." She gave a reassuring smile before turning around and walking out the door to check up on another patient.

* * *

Caroline shyly pulled open the door after being permitted to visit her friend. Seeing Elena, she rushed towards the side of the bed, "Is everything alright? They wouldn't tell me anything, said something about patient confidentiality. Wish I could've punched that snob-of-a-nurse."

Elena chuckled, "Everything's fine. It was just a small case of placental abruption."

Caroline nodded before directing her gaze to the floor, being suspiciously quiet.

"What did you do?"

She turned slightly red at the words, knowing that her friend knew her like the back of her hand. "I might've called Alaric... who might've called Damon. Did I forget to mention Jeremy and Bonnie?" Her bottom lip was between her teeth by the end of it, expecting backlash for her actions.

"I would've been fine with it if it weren't for the Damon bit. He made it perfectly clear that he wanted nothing to do with this baby." The tears began to pool at the bottom of her eyes.

"He did _what_?" Caroline bit out, beyond infuriated with that raven-haired man, nay monster.

Elena wiped furiously at her tears that had begun to cascade down her cheeks, "_If you hate me so much, why not just get a fucking abortion!_" She imitated, a strangled sob escaping her lips.

Within mere mille-seconds, the blonde's face turned unbelievably red, eyes wide in disbelief. Steam seemed to be pouring out of her ears.

Both snapped their heads towards the shut door when a knock came. "Who is it?" Elena asked, her voice breaking towards the end.

There was a nervous clearing of the throat before an answer, "Alaric. Can I come in?"

Elena glanced towards Caroline with raised eyebrows, who shrugged her shoulders, answering for her, "Come on in."

The door opened, revealing a sober Alaric, dark bags set beneath his eyes, lips drawn down into a deep frown, eyes no longer shining with brilliance. He sat on the opposite side of Caroline, head hung low, "I'm sorry."

Elena was taken aback before spilling out, "Don't apologize. None of this is your fault."

He shook his head, biting back the self-anger, "I was too busy drinking away my sorrows to even comfort you."

Caroline scoffed, "Guess you were busy talking to that cheater, huh?"

Alaric snapped his head up, glowering at her, "I was helping him."

"Helping him? ! He hurt your step-daughter!" Caroline growled, becoming defensive.

Before everything got out of hand, a voice bellowed into the room, "Keep it down, you two. Jeez, can't get along even in a hospital."

All eyes were on the raven-haired man leaning against the doorway.


	8. Warning Sign

**A/N: Anyone out there that isn't mad at me? I am absolutely sorry for the ridiculously long wait. Dealing with my nephew and Hurricane Sandy to top it all off has been really hectic. **

**I hope you enjoy the chapter! Oh and ****Damon might be a bit dark**** for this chapter, and probably the next one or two, so just keep that in mind. Be warned as well: I will put a character as an 'interest' for Elena, just to see how jealous Damon can get. **

**Read&Review please!**

* * *

_The door opened, revealing a sober Alaric, dark bags set beneath his eyes, lips drawn down into a deep frown, eyes no longer shining with brilliance. He sat on the opposite side of Caroline, head hung low, "I'm sorry."_

_Elena was taken aback before spilling out, "Don't apologize. None of this is your fault."_

_He shook his head, biting back the self-anger, "I was too busy drinking away my sorrows to even comfort you."_

_Caroline scoffed, "Guess you were busy talking to that cheater, huh?"_

_Alaric snapped his head up, glowering at her, "I was helping him."_

_"Helping him? ! He hurt your step-daughter!" Caroline growled, becoming defensive._

_Before everything got out of hand, a voice bellowed into the room, "Keep it down, you two. Jeez, can't get along even in a hospital."_

_All eyes were on the raven-haired man leaning against the doorway._

* * *

Caroline's mouth hung open in incredulity, eyes burning between anger and murderous feelings. Breaking her glare away from the cocky blue eyes, she set her gaze on the timid brunette sitting in the bed, slowly sinking down until the blanket nearly covered her face. Elena's breath became labored, quickly reaching down to grip her friend's shaking hand. The feeling of warmth against ice had her shivering.

Caroline growled protectively, canines slowly extending, "You…you-" Her voice came out in a harsh whisper, her hands aching to rip the elder vampire to shreds.

Elena gripped her friend's hand tighter to gain the blonde's attention as she looked towards Alaric, who seemed to be hanging his head lower, before glancing back to Caroline. She breathed out the breath she hadn't realized she had held, wanting so badly tear each individual raven hair from his head. Her hand instinctively rested upon her stomach underneath the mountain of blankets, her other hand gripping tightly to Caroline's pale hand. "Can you two give us a minute?"

Caroline inhaled sharply, whipping around to stare quizzically into her friend's eyes. "You sure?" She muttered as to only Elena could hear her, even if Damon could use his heightened abilities. The brunette nodded, pieces of dark locks falling into her gaze. Alaric had immediately brushed past Damon as soon as she had asked, mumbling a few words to him on the way out. Standing to her feet, she reluctantly released Elena's hand after squeezing it in reassurance; a silent way to saying that she would be right outside in the case of anything happening.

The room felt empty. Two lost souls purposefully directing their gazes away from each other. There was a growing feeling in the pit of her stomach burning through her emotional shield, one she could not place a finger on, let alone label as a certain feeling. Biting her bottom lip in agitation, she mustered up the anger boiling beneath the marbled surface to angrily bark, "What are you doing here?"

He shifted, now leaning against the closed door. Shrugging his shoulders, he gazed coldly into her eyes for the first time since he arrived, "Ric called me."

Elena rolled her eyes, "So you decided to come after clearly stating I should 'get an abortion'?" Her arms crossed over her chest in a defiant manner, lips slightly rolling outwards. Within a split second he was at her bedside, leaning dangerously close to her face.

"I still hope you will," He said, his voice eerily calm. The bitterness to his tone cut through her like a knife. Instinctively, her hand swung to strike him across the cheek, only to be stopped by his vise grip clutching her hand rather roughly. A growl broke through the silence, and Elena dearly hoped with all her might that it came from Caroline, here to save the day. But she quickly came to realize it had a masculine tone to it. She shut her eyes, the tears once threatening to fall quickly making way down her cheeks in a hot frenzy. The door burst open, scaring her half out of her skeleton. In came the blonde in all her might, a snarl etched into her features. It was then that Elena realized the throbbing pain that had settled in her wrist had vanished, only a red mark in its place.

_Where did he go?_

* * *

Returning home from the hospital was no joy as so many countless others had boasted about. 'I felt alive again.' 'Happiness radiated from me.' Bullshit. The only thing I felt radiating from me was the need to sleep off the pulsating pain shooting up my back. The tender nurses in the hospital had prepped me on what I should expect while at home; back pains, occasional spotting (as long as it wasn't too much), and exhaustion. The meds administered into me were beginning to get on my last nerves. Raging hormones mixed with carefully selected medication never mixed well. I was beginning to feel bad for Caroline, due to her having to stay home to look after me.

She was going to have a lot to deal with.

The first day home had been slow paced. Walking up the stairs provided a challenge, having to have someone walk up with me. Going to the bathroom nonstop constantly annoyed me, especially when either Jeremy or Caroline would stand guard outside the door, making sure I didn't fall or something of the nature. "I'm pregnant, not handicapped," I had muttered one day.  
It seemed Caroline didn't give a crap whether I was having a baby or insane. In the weeks she stayed in the boarding house, much to her dislike of location, she had not slept a wink, even if I insisted that I was fine. She had pointed out the growing amount of vampires in the Mystic Falls community, and I already had the knowledge of many of them already knowing of the doppelgangers in this small town.

I hadn't argued with her anymore on the subject.

Day twenty-seven marked the fifth month of my pregnancy, as well as the nine month anniversary of my strained marriage to Damon. Breathing out a sigh of relief as I rested her feet on the footrest, I placed my hand on the every-expanding stomach. I felt as if I was larger than most pregnancies would be in this stage.

_Strange._

The wheels in my head turned, wondering as to the whereabouts of the vivacious blonde. As if on cue, the door swung open and in wobbled the said woman, bags gripped in each hand.

"You will never guess what I just did."

I rolled my eyes before sluggishly standing to my feet, rubbing my back as I did so. "You went shopping?" I answered sarcastically. She bit back a smile, making her way towards the island in the kitchen to place the shopping bags before strutting into the parlor.

"No, silly," She bit her bottom lip in excitement, "I bought us two tickets for California!" She bounced up and down in exhilaration. I frowned, not wanting to be the kill joy.

"Aw, Caroline, that is so sweet of you, but," immediately I could see her face dropping, "I really shouldn't be flying anywhere. Not in this condition." My face twisted into a scowl as I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. You would have thought I killed her puppy. Her lips twisted into a frown, flopping down on the couch she pouted.

"I'll just have to give the tickets to Bonnie and Jer, then."

My heart sunk. I had just been officially labeled as the kill joy, I swear I could see it in her eyes. Before I could reach out to comfort her, she breezed upstairs, the guestroom door clicking shut behind her. My arms ached to wrap around her, to comfort her as she had done so very well for me in my times of need.

Taking a seat on the couch, I wrapped my arms around myself, ridiculing the fact that my hands barely wrapped anywhere near fully around myself.

* * *

I awoke to a thudding against the parlor window, jolting me from the deep, peaceful slumber. For the first time in five months, I was able to gain three extra hours of sleep. It may have been the fact that my best friend, who happens to be a vampire, is directly upstairs in case anything were to take place. I rushed towards the window as fast as my slow body would go only to jump back when a white mush collided with the window. The bottom half of the glass was utterly smothered in snow, making it near impossible to catch sight of the culprit.

Going on my tippy toes, I could barely make out the outline of a blonde laughing next to a towering figure. Figuring the blonde to be Caroline, I slipped into my snow boots and walked outside to find Caroline and a familiar face, smiling over towards me.

"Well hello, sleepyhead," He called.

It was the first time in two years, and he looked like he always had. The wispy brown hair brushed pristinely, wild brown eyes sparkling even with the dark, ominous clouds above, perfectly chiseled features glowing. My lips twisted into a genuine smile before running, in my condition it's more like waddling, towards him, arms extended. He wrapped me into a hug that seemed to warm my heart, even when his body remained utterly freezing. Pulling back I quickly asked, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

"What, I get no 'good morning' hug?" Caroline muttered, walking off to begin building a snowman.

He shook his head towards the blonde's direction before gazing down towards me affectionately, "Longtime no see, Miss Gilbert." He grinned cheekily, small dimples appearing. Obviously he had a reason for coming here.

"What are you doing here?" I tried again, hoping he wouldn't avoid the question.

Stepping a bit further away, he glanced towards his shoes before locking gazes once again. "I received a phone call late last night, asking," He leaned in to whisper dramatically, "more like begging," Straightening his back he continued, "to come and give you some company so Miss Nark over there can attend the well-deserved vacation." The mental trip to yesterday flashed before me, remembering her excitement over the California trip. Obviously she was not going to give the tickets to Bonnie and Jeremy. My eyebrows knit together in confusion. Seeing my bewilderment he inserted, "She said something about the witch agreeing to go." And there was the answer.

My heart sunk to rest beside my stomach. It would be the first trip my friends would be going on without me there to stand beside them. Not wanting to alarm Elijah I quickly flipped my frown upside down, "Thank you for informing me." He nodded briskly before holding out his angled arm. Looping my arm through his we walked towards Caroline to attempt to help with her piece of art.

Little did I know that Elijah had heard the distinct possessive growl from the woods as we walked off together.

* * *

The metal bird took off into the cloud-filled sky, off to a new state where my best friends would have the time of their lives. Without me. If my heart couldn't sink any lower, it would have just then. Elijah slid his hand into mine, squeezing it reassuringly. I grinned up at him before leaning softly against him as we continued strolling through the airport.

"So I see a lot of things have changed," He commented, eyes directed towards the road before glancing down at my expanded stomach and then back to the black pavement. His hands visibly tightened on the steering wheel. My mouth fell open, not knowing how to respond.

There was silence before, "He's the father, isn't he?" There was a bitterness to his tone, immediately sending shivers dancing up my spine.

I tilted my head in confusion, "To whom are you referring?" The speed of the car jolted up, resulting in me to grip the closest object.

"Damon." The venom dripping from his voice had my skin crawling. His name on Elijah's tongue sounded as if it was a sin to even mutter the name. My breath hitched, my lungs burning with agony.

"Yes." I whispered hoarsely, oxygen barely making its way through my lungs efficiently. The speed of the car dropped significantly, and before I could react, his hand snaked across the center console and gripped mine.

"Breathe, Elena, breathe," He instructed softly. Gripping my hand tighter he tried his best to distract me, "Have you decided on a name for the little one?"

I smiled softly, gazing down at our entwined hands, "Haden," The smile placed upon my lips grew, "Haden James."

"It's perfect, Elena," He glanced over before looking back to the road, "Will he be taking your last name?" I was taken aback by how I hadn't thought of this in the long run.

Before I could fully mull it over I blurted out, "No, it wouldn't seem right. He deserves to at least have something of his father." Something in my stomach churned, making me regret blurting out an answer before fully thinking the consequences. Would this little guy get to know his father? Most likely not. Being from two people like us the little guy will possibly be curious as to who his biological father is. And I'll tell him everything. Well maybe not everything, I wouldn't want my baby boy to be crushed by how much of a dead beat his father is.

As we pulled up to the boarding house, my heart seemed to dread walking in the door. My head couldn't wrap around the idea as I walked up to the door, ready to put my key in the lock. I was stopped suddenly when a hand rested on my shoulder, causing me to gaze over my shoulder to Elijah. "What's the matter?"

He growled slightly, "He's here."


End file.
